Ice vending machine



' Oct. 27, 1936.

J. H. sc HREIBER .10E VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23,1935 a snee'ns-Sheen:l 1

afl/76295.'

Oct. 27, 1936. l J. H. scHRElBER Y 2,058,726

` ICE VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1935 l 8 Sheets-Sheet 2 vOc t. 27, 1936. J. H. scHRElBER 2,058,726-

ICE VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 4 OCt- 27 1935? J.H. scHRElBER l 2,058,726

ICE VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1933 8 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 27, 1936.

.'1. H. SCHRIBER CE VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 23, 1953 8 Sheets-Sheet 6 n 11/ l/f l 11/ f Oct. 27, 1936. J. H. scHREnsER 2,058,725

ICE ENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 25, 1935 8 Sheets-Sheet 7 Oct. 27, 1936. J. H. scHRElBER ICE VEN'DING MACHINE s sheets-sheet a Filed Jan. 25, 1953 Patented oct. v27, 1936 UNITE-D STATES .PATENT oFFlcE 2,058,126 ron vnivnma mom John n. schreiber, semanario.

Application Januar; as, 193s. serial No. ssaoss ze claims. (c1. :i2-ss) This invention .relates to-vending machines, having special relation to machines adapted and designed for use as ice vending machines. Objects of the invention are to provide an improvedvending machine adapted. for installation in a special cabinet or housing forming the complete supporting structure of the 'machine; to provide a simplified and inexpensive mechanism easily accessible for inspection, repairs and interchange of parts; to provide a mode of operation, including a one-way movement of the parts eliminating reciprocating actions and movements, and to simplify the filling of the magazines; to provide an easily operated mechanism requiring a small amount-of power for discharging and reloading, and to avoid thef hoisting and raising of the ice cakes by operation of the mechanism; to arrange -the magazines for the respective ice cakes along the wall and thereby provide storage and loading space on the inside of the machine; to utilize the floor and the ceiling of the housing as frames to sup-y port the mechanisms and the magazines; to provide a shifting of-the magazines to obtain a space through which a person may enter and leave the machine; to provide improved operating mechanism forv imparting a rapid movement to the series of magazines at the unloading point and to redueevspeed of movement of the unloaded .magazine to. a place at the rear of the lseries of magazines within the housing;v to provide means.

detailed description, reference being made to the` accompanying drawings, in which-' Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view of a preferred form of my invention.-

Fig. 2 is a diagram graphically illustrating the sequence of operation of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a. vertical sectionalyiew on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.0i the machine-taken through the discharge outlet.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on the line :pi- 4 of Fig. ,1 at right angles to the section of g'. 3. Fig. 5 is a'n enlarged view showing the discharge mechanism and the mechanism for unloading the magazines. 5 Fig, 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view on t he line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. rI is an enlarged vertical sectional view on the line 1-I of Fig. 4. .Y

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view looking in the direction. of the line 8-8 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 4.v Fig. 10 is ,a"diagrammatical view showing an oval arrangement of the magazines as distinguished vfrom an approximately circular arrangement'. /The cabinet or housing enclosing the vending mechanism comprises a bottom wall or oor I from which rises a circular enclosing Vwall 2 supporting a top wall 3. The bottom wall or oorl i and the top wall 3 support the operating mechanism. A circular track 4 is mounted rigidlyon the bottom wall I in axial alinement with a similar circular track 5 attached to the top wall 3 of the housing.

A. circular series of unattached upright supports 6 have endwise abutting bars 1 (Figs. l, 4, and `5) attached to their lower ends, and similar endwise abutting bars 8 attached to their upper ends. A pair of grooved rollers 9 are rotatively connected with the bars 1 and operate along the circular track 4, and rollers I0, rota- Y tively connected with the bars 8, engage the track 5 and cooperate toV hold the upright supports 5 in proper upright position for circular movement along the tracks 4 and 5.

AEach' of the supports 6 has along its forward edge a flange II and a series of magazines is attached to each support. .In the specific embodiment shown, there are eight of these magazines, each comprising a bottom portion I2 and an upstandingiiange I3 along the forward edge of the part I2. 'I'hese magazines are spaced vertically and each magazine is designed and `adapted to receive'and support a cake of ice I4 held from sliding `inwardly from the magazines by beads I5 along the inner edges of the respective magazines. Or, each magazine may be provided with an upstanding flange I6 along its inner end over which the icecake I4 must'be passed in order to load the respective magazines. The

distancevbtween the upper edge of each ange I6 and-the next upwardly adjacent magazine I2 measures or-determines the maximum size of a cake of ice that may be passed onto the magazines. Accordingly, when any block of ice is passed over the flange I3 and becomes seated on the magazine I2, a space I1 is left between the upper surface of the cake of ice and the under side of the next upwardly adjacent magazine.

One side of the cabinet or housing wall has a discharge opening I8 opened and closed by a sliding door I8 and having an outwardly extended discharge chute 23.

A vertical shaft 2| is supported for rotation by the bottom wall I and top wall 3 of the housing and is driven by a motor 22 through gearing 23 (Fig. 7). Duplicate mechanisms are driven by the lower and upper ends of the shaft 2I. The description of one of these mechanisms constitutes a description ofthe other, and the same reference numerals are applied to analogous parts of said mechanisms wherever they appear in the drawings.

Each of said mechanisms comprises a sprocket wheel 24 attached to the shaft 2I and engaged by a sprocket chain 23, which. also engages an adjacent sprocket wheel 23 mounted on `a stud shaft 21. A sprocket wheel 23 is rigid with" each of the sprocket wheels 23, there being, as stated, one sprocket wheel 23 and its attached sprocket wheel 23 at the bottom of the machine and one of each of said wheels at the top of the machine. Sprocket chains 28 engage the sprocket wheels 28. The outer portions of the sprocket chains 23 operate against curved guides 33 and said chains engage sprocket wheels 3I supported on stud shafts 32 at the top and bottom of 'the housing and also engage sprocket wheels 33 on stud shafts 34 and sprocket wheels 33 on stud shafts 33. The directions of rotation of the sprocket wheels 23, 3l, 33 and 33 are indicated by the arrows applied thereto in Fig. 5 of the drawings. An arm 31 is rigid with one of the links of the chain 28.

Sprocket chains 38, of similar construction to the sprocket chains 29, engage sprocket wheels y39 and 48, respectively, at the top'and bottom,

and also engage the sprocket wheels 4I rotative on stud shafts 42 at the top and\bottom of the housing. An arm 43 (Fig. 1) is rigid with one of the links of the chain 38.

It is now clear that the motor 22 drives the chains 29 and also the chains 38 and that, due to the ratio of the gearing, the chains28 are driven at considerably greater speed than the chains 33.-l

These chains 23 and 33 have denite stopping and starting positions. and these positions are shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings. As there shown, a projection` 44 is rigid with and extends inwardly from each bar 1 and each bar 8 in position to. be engaged by the adjacent arm 31 after said arm 31 moves a very slight distance from its stopping and starting position. The movement of the chain 23 being in the direction of the arrow 43 (Fig. 5), itis apparent that the arms 31, by engaging the projections 44. will move the magazine 81112D0111 3 around to the position on the magazine support, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5, at which time the Aarms 81 will pass beyond and escape from the projections 44 while the chain 23 continues in motion.- During the entire movement l'of the chain 23, the-chain 33 is operating and, about 4thetimethat the arms 31` pass beyond responding bars 1 and 3 of the next forwardly adjacent magazine and move the circular series of magazines forwardly one step to bring another magazine in position to be engaged and operated by the arms 31.

The motor 22 is controlled by any appropriate l start and stop mechanism, or otherwise as may be desired, in order to stop the chains 23 and 33 in their definite stopping and starting positions, in which the arms 43 have just passed from engagement with the projections 44 and another magazine with itsprojections 44 has been moved to position for operation by the arms 31.

An intermittently operated motor 43 drives a pinion 41 meshing with a gear wheel 43 attached to a rotary shaft 43. A pinion 38 (Figs. 4 and 8) is attached to the shaft 43 and meshes with a gear 3| attached to a rotary shaft 32. A Geneva movement member, comprising a disc 33 and an arm 34, is attached to the shaft 32. 'I'lie arm 34 projects radially opposite the arcuate notch 33 (Fig. 7) in the disc 33. 'I'he arm 34 supports a roller 33 adapted to engage a cooperating Geneva movement member 31 mounted for rotation on a support 33 having a number of radial slots 33 and in diate peripheral arcuate notches 33. When respective slots 33 are engaged by the roller 33 the member 31 is rotated 90 for each complete revolutionhof the member 33. The notches 3II engage the peripheral portion of the disc 33 while the extended portions of the member 51 having therein the slots 33'are received in the notch 33, thus permitting the Geneva movementand the locking of the member 31 during the time that the disc 33 is turning 210 or` three-fourths of a complete revolution. A gear wheel 8I is rigid with and rotated by the Geneva member 31 and meshes with a gear 32 attached to a rotary shaft 83.

A pair of spaced sprocket wheels 83 are attached to the shaft 33 and .are engaged by sprocket chains 33,A which also engage idler sprockets 33 mounted on stud shafts 81 nearthe bottom I. l

A series of angular shelves 38 are pivoted to the chains 33 and are spaced apart approximately the same distance as the magazines I2. Each shelf 33 has a pair of arms 33 projecting angularly therefrom and equipped with rollers 13, which, during descent of the shelves and in the descending positions of the shelves, operate between the side flanges of vertical channel bars 1I (Figs. 5 and 6) and thereby support the shelves 33 in approximately horizontal positions. Below the lower ends of the channel bars] I, angle bars 12 are pivotally supported in vertical continuation of the 'channel bars 1I and the rollers 18 passing from the channel bars 1I engage the inwardly extended front angles of the angle bars 12. The upper ends of the angle bars 12 are swung forwardly at the proper time, permitting the lowest shelf 33 to incline downwardly and forwardly, as shown in Pig. 6 of the drawings, and thereby facilitate and expedite the movement of the ice cake I4 therefrom. 'Ihe angle bars 12 are mounted on pivots 13 (Pig. 9) and are connected by links 14 with depending arms 13 attached to a rockable shaft 13. An arm 11, attached to the shaft 13, is connected by a link 13 with an arm 13 mounted on a pivot 33 and hav ing a rollerv3l operating in a cam groove 32 formed on the outer surface of the gear wheel 3|. In the starting podtion ofthe cam 32, the arm 18 is held in its raised position and thereby, through the connections 13, 11, 13, and 14, the

2,068,728 angle bars' 12 are positively held in alinement with the channel bars 1|, so that the lowest shelf 68 will be supported horizontally to retain the ice cake I4 thereon. After the cam 82 turns a suflcient distance, :the 'arm 19 is thereby moved downwardly, operating the connections 19, etc. to swing forwardly the angle bars 12 (Fig. 6) and thereby permit the lowest shelf 68 to incline downwardly and outwardly and permit the ice cake I4 to be moved outwardly through the opening I 8,onto the discharge chute 28.

A pinion 83 (Figs. 4, 8, and 9), rigid on the shaft 49, meshes-with the pinion 84 on the upper endof a vertical rotary shaft 85. A pinion 86, attached to the lower end of the shaft 85, meshes with a pinion 81 on the inner end of a horizontal rotary shaft 88. A pinion 89 is attached to the forward end of the shaft 88 and meshes with a pinion 98 attached to a horizontal shaft 9|. Discharge members 92 are attached to the shaft 9| (Figs. 1 and 6). The members 92 may have teeth for discharging unwrapped ice cakes and may be devoid of teeth and function as frictional rolls to discharge wrapped cakes of ice. When the shelf 68 drops to the inclined position shown in Fig. 6, these discharge members are received in slots 93 inI the magazine element. The members 92 raise the ice cake from the retaining elements 94, which may be either projections to indent into the ice or frictional elements, such as rubber, to engage the wrappers of wrapped ice cakes. The rotating members 92'propel the ice cake I 4 outwardly through the opening I8 onto the inclined chute 28.

At the proper time, the shaft l68 is rotated by operation of the Geneva gearing, by the devices 53, 56 and 51 and by the lgears 6| and 62, thereby operatingthe chains V65 a distance equal to the distance between two adjacent shelves 69. This moves rearwardly the lowest shelf- 68 from which the ice cake had been discharged to the position of the lowest vacant shelf 68,' shown in Fig. 6, the forward end of the shelf being supported in this position by a member 95. These operations are repeated until the ice cakes are discharged from all of the shelves 68, after which all of said shelves are reloaded. a

During their upward movement, the shelves 68 extend downwardly, because the rollers 18 are out of engagement ywith any guiding members. Asthe shelves move over the'shaft 63, the arms 69 -engage said shaft 68 and swing the shelves through the arc 96 (Fig. 6) until the uppermost shelf is extended forwardly and supported horizontally b'y engagement of the rollers 18 with the guides 1|. This operation should be clearly apparent from Fig. 6 of the drawings.

ing a roller |88 operating in a cam |89 on the inner side of the gear wheel 5I. T he cord or cable v passes upwardly over supporting rollers II8 supported by the top' wall 3 and thence downwardly to engagement with the latch 99. In the start- 'ing position of the cam I 89, the arm |86 is supported in its upper position, the door I8 is in its downward and closed position 4and the latch 8.8

is engaged in the ,notch |84, which is inaccessible from the outside, thus making it impossible for the door I9 to be opened in an unauthorized way. Just before the lowest ice cake I4 starts to move outwardly,'the cam |89 moves the arm |86 downwardly, thereby operating the cord gaging and moving the projections 44 and thereby the corresponding series of magazines, the ice cakes I4 on said series of magazines are placed on the selves 68,'immediately above which arev the magazines. The magazines are shown in broken lines in Fig. 9 and the shelves 68 are shown in solid lines, it being apparent that the magazines move above the shelves. During this forward movement of the magazines, the ice cakes arestopped by rigid arms III projecting into the path of movement of the ice cakes, but not interfering with the movement of the magazines4 I2.

A door opening II2 (Figs. 1 and 4) is equipped with a door I|3 mounted on hinges ||4 and provided with a latch and lockv device II5`, whereby the door may be held closed. This door constitutes an entrance and exit through which a person may enter and leave the housing for any needed purpose. For instance, it may be desired to enter the housing to, lubricate or adjust parts of the mechanism, or to load the magazines with ice cakes. The central part of the housing, around which the magazines travel, aifords considerable Space in which cakes of ice may be stored. A

The housing may be provided with a roof I|6 (Fig. 3) mounted above the top wall 3 to provide an intervening space II1 for thev circulation of air across the top of the housing for cooling pur- .equipment and the use and installation thereof and the manner of installing and using the same being well known.

It is my intention to equip this ,machine with appropriate `coin controlled switch mechanism for controlling operation of the motor 46, so that `when' a ycoin of proper .value is placed in the switch mechanism, the motor 46 will be operated from and to its starting position. Each such operation of the motor 46 rotates the Geneva driving member 53 one complete revolution and thereby rotates the driven member51 90'?. 'I'his 98 movement of the driven member 51 imparts a turning movement to the shaft 63 and therebyv operaigzs the chains 65 4to move the shelves 68 downwardly one shelf space.

The gear 5|/ being rotated by the motor- 46,

causes .the cam I 89 to move the arm |86 downwardly and operate the cordor cable 91 and unlatch andr open the door I9 by a comparatively quick movement.` Thereafter in proper time sequence, the cam 82, through the connections 18, etc., swings the `angle bars 12 forwardly to per.-

.mit downward tilting of the lowest shelf 68, causing the members 92 to disengage the ice cake I4 from the holders 94 (Fig. 6): are rotated by the motor 45 through the driving gearing, terminating in the pinions 89 and 90' (Fig. 9), and the ice cake is thereby discharged.

The chains 65 .are moved a distance equal to the bars rigidly in alinement with said guides and thereby support the lowest loaded shelf 58 untilted. In the specific embodiment of the invention shown, these intermittent operations of the shelves 68 are performed eight times successively, which eight operations empty all of said shelves Thereupon the motor 22 is operated to movey forwardly the foremost series of eight magazines, which forward movement is effected by the arms 31 engaging the projections 44, as already described.

'This forward movement of the series of eight loaded magazines causes the ice cakes on said magazines to be swept or removed therefrom by .the arms |I| and the ice cakes deposited on the shelves 68. Eventually the arms 3I move out of engagement with the projections 44 and said pro.- jections are then engaged by the arms 43 operated simultaneously with the arms 3'I and at considerably slower speed in order not to shock or jar the mechanism. The series of magazines that have just been emptied are thereby moved to the yrear of the circular series of magazines in the housing, causing the bars E and 8 of the emptied magazine to engage the corresponding bars I and 8 on the next forwardly adjacent magazine unit and move the entire series of magazines forwardly thevwidth of one magazine unit. Immediately, when the arms 3l' and 43 reach their initial starting positions, the motor 22 is stopped until after anotherseries of eight intermittent operations of the motor 46 and the member operated thereby. The mechanism for eifecting the automatic starting and stopping of the motor 22 is not herein illustrated or described, andsuch automatic operation of said motor 22 may be effected and controlled in different ways. The mechanism for controlling and operating said motor 22 is not a part of the present invention.

The time relationship of the effective operations of the several mechanisms of this machine/and the eiects of such operations are graphically illustrated by Fig. 2. Above the line I2I, three related periods of operations are shown. The vertical space below the notation Eighth discharge cycle" contains a graph |22 designating the positions and movements of the door IS in an operation of discharging from the machine one of the ice cakes I 4. 'I'his space also contains a graph |22 designating the positions and movements of the lowermost shelf 68 in an operation of discharging from the machine one of the ice cakes I4. And this space also contains a graph |24 designating the downward or lowering movement of the remaining shelves 50. other than the lowermost shelf 58, on which other ice cakes are supported.

Above the line I2I. two additional of the eight The members 92 l ,osavae discharge cycles are represented, the remaining five being omitted because they are merely duplications of the cycles designated First discharge cycle and Second discharge cycle, respectively.

The Geneva driving member 53 makes one complete revolution during each operation of the machine to discharge an ice cake, which operation may be controlled by any appropriate type of coin control mechanism, or otherwise as desired. The Geneva driving member 53 and the vgear being attached to the same shaft 52,

operate at the same time, the gear 5I being rotated by the pinion 50 and thereby rotating the shaft 52 and the Geneva driving member 53. Accordingly, the cam |09, formed on the gear 5|, has a definite' fixed relationship with the Geneva driving member 53 and, therefore, has a definite starting position. The initial portion of the rotary movement of the cam |09 does not operate the lever |06 and, therefore, the door I9 remains closed during such initial portion of the rotary movement of the cam |09. Thereafter a rise in the cam |09 operates the lever |06 and moves the door I9 upwardly, a high portion of the cam |09 holding the lever |06 in its operated position and thereby supporting the door I9 open for the time and extent of movement of the mechanisms represented by the high part of the graph |22, which is sulcient time for an ice cake YI4 'to be discharged from the 'machine by operation of the discharging members 92. Then a descending portion of the cam |09 operates1the lever |06 to permit the door I9 to descend, as indicated by the descending portion of the graph |22, and assume its closed and locked position.

These operations have a definite relationship to the operations of the lowermost shelf 68 and the mechanism controlling the tilting thereof. During an appropriate portion of the initial turning movement of the gear 5I, on which both cams |09 and 82 are formed, the lever I9 remains unoperated for a longer time than the lever |06 remains unoperated in order to afford time for the door 'I9 to be opened before the lowermost shelf 68 is tilted. After sucient time for the door I9 to be opened, the lever 'I9 is operated by the cam 32 by a quick movement to move the anf gle bars 'I2 out of'alinement with the guides 'Ii and thereby permit the lowermost hhelf 68 to move from the position, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 6, to the position shown by solid lines. By this, tilting of the lowermost shelf 68 does not occuzr until after the door I9 has been fully opened, as will be understood by observing 'that the descending portion of the graph |23 extends beyond the end of the ascending part of the graph E22. The lowermost shelf 58 remains tilted during the time and extent of operation represented by the low portion of the graph |23, after which, as indicated by the rising and horizontal portion of the graph |23, the lowermost shelf 68 moves to the position of that shelf 68 which has its forward end resting on the support 95.

These movements have a definite time relationship and also a relationship in the extent of each operation of the discharging mechanism,

including the descending movements of the load- Vmember 53 to operate the gearing for operating the chains 55 that support the shelves 68 occurs during the closing movement of the door I9 and while the lowermost shelf 5l, from which the I ce cake had been moved, remains in its tilted position and continues until after that evacuated shelf has dropped onto the support 98 Aand during one4 complete revolution of the Geneva driving member 53. v

The time relationship of the operation of reloading the shelves 68 with ice cakes by operating the chains 29 to move the front tier of magazines I2 across the shelves '68 and cause'the arms |II` to sweep the ice cakesv from the magazines I2 onto the shelves 68 is indicated by graphic Fig. 2 below the line I2I read in connection with the graphsA above the line I 2|. Beyond the vertical line |25, the door |9` remains closed and the chains 65 and-shelves 68 remain stationary. At this time when'all of the shelves 88 are empty, the

Amotor 22 begins. to operate, thereby operating the chains 28 and causing the arms 31 to engage the projections 44 and thereby move 'the foremost magazine support 8 and the loaded magazine I2 supported thereby in the direction of the arrow 45 (Fig. Y5) and across the shelves 68, causing the arms `I II to stop the ice cakes Il while the magazines I2 are continuously moved, thereby sweeping the ice cakes from said magazinesy onto the shelves 68. During this time, the motor 48 and 1 the discharge mechanism of the machine cannot be operated. The discharge mechanism cannot be operated until the magazines just unloaded bars 1 and 8 of said single series of emptied magazlnes abut against corresponding bars of lthe next forwardly adjacent series of magazines, after which all of the magazines are moved forwardly Vone step movement, suicient td place the foremost series of loaded magazines in position to be engaged by the arms 31 during another operation of the' loading mechanism. At'this time the motor 22 stops, thereby stopping operation of all of the loading mechanism.

The extent and relationship of movement of the single series o! magazines to load the shelves 68 and then to move the emptied magazines onward, as above described, is indicated by the extent of the linebelow the line indicated by the notation "Movement of'single magazine, and the subsequent movement of all magazines to locate another series of loaded magazines in position for a loading operation is indicated by the linebelow `the notation Movement of all magazines, said -cular path. 'I'he several series of magazines are designated |21 and the arrow line indicates their path of movement other than in'a circular direction. The supporting shelves |28 take the place of the supporting shelves 68 and are operated and controlled by mechanisms located in the space |29, which mechanisms may be the mechanisms herein described. An ejector |38, corresponding to the members 92, will be controlled by these mechanisms at the proper time to eject the ice cakes outwardly into a receiving space I3I. The illustration of the operating mechanisms is not here duplicated since they may be easily arrangedto'perform their intended functions irrespective of whether the magazines move along a circular path, or otherwise.

It mustnow be apparent that this invention is highly simplified, eective and durable machine that may be controlled in the manner suggested, or otherwise, in order to operate and perform the sequence of operations required to make the machine commercially satisfactory. Safety appliances and devices will be used in connection with the different mechanisms, so that operations of the machine may not be performed as, for instance,when thedoor I I3 is open or when any person is on the inside of the machine. Devices and appliances for these purposesare contemplated but are not illustrated or described 4in this specification, because such devices and appliances are wellknown and their embodiment in this machine is entirely practicable and may easily be performed. Without rest cting myself in these or any unessential respec I claim:-

1. A vending machin having an outlet openi g, mechanism mounted in said housing for i ividually supporting a vertical row of articles 'n vertically spaced relationship to be ejected successively through said opening, machinery for operating said mechanism to move the articles .successively and intermittently to position for.. ejection through said opening, vertically spaced devices in said housing for individually supporting a vertical row of articles for placement on said supporting mechanism, and mechanism for operating said devices horizontally and transversely of said supporting mechanism to remove articles therefrom and place said articles on said supDQrting mechanism.

2. A vending machinecomprising a housing having an outlet opening, mechanism mounted in said housing for individually supporting a vertical row of articles in vertically spaced relationship to beejected through said opening, machinery for operating said mechanism to move the larticles successively and intermittently to position for ejection through lsaid opening until all of the articles are ejected from said mechanism, vertically spaced supporting magazines in said Ahousing for supporting vertical rows of articles for placement on said supporting mechanism, and mechanism for operating said supporting magazines horizontally adjacent to said first mechanism as required to place said articles on said supporting mechanism.

3..A. vending machine comprising a housing4 having an outlet opening, `carriers mounted' in said housing for individually supporting and successively carrying articles toposition to be ejected from said opening, machinery in said housing for operating said carriers and for ejecting articles therefrom through said outlet opening successively and intermittently, and mechanism Ai'or placing a plurality of articles on said carriers after a plurality of articles have been ejected.

4; A vending machine comprising a housing having anl outlet opening, carriers mounted in said housing for individually supportingand successively moving downwardly articles to position opposite said outlet opening, a door for said outlet opening, machinery in said housing for operating said carriers and for opening said door, mechanism for `ejecting an article from one of said carriers through said opening after said door comprising a housing has been opened, and mechanism for placing a plurality of articles on said carriers after a plurality of articles have beeny ejected.

5. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, endless chains sup'- ported in said housing, carriers pivoted to said chainsfor supporting and successively carrying articles downwardly to position opposite said opening, means for tilting the lowermost carrier that supports an article opposite said opening, ejectors for ejecting the article from the tilted carrier, and automatic mechanism for replacing articles on said carriers after all articles have been ejected therefrom.

6. A vending machine comprising a housing havingan outlet opening, endless chains supported in said housincarriers pivoted to said chains for supporting and successively carrying articles downwardly to position opposite said opening, means for tilting the lowermost carrier that supports an article opposite said opening, ejectors for ejecting the article from the tilted carriermeans for restoring the carriers to position to receive articles, and mechanism for s'imultaneously placing a plurality of articles on said carriers to replace the articles that have been removed therefrom. 7. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, carriers mounted in said housing for supporting and successively carrying articles downwardly to position to be ejected from said opening, machinery in said housing for operating said carriers, ejectors for ejecting articles from said carriers through said outlet opening successively and intermittently, magazines for supporting articles in said housing toy be placed on said carriers, mechanism for moving said magazines across said carriers, and devices for removing the articles from said magazines and causing said articles to be deposited on said carriers during movement of said magazines across said carriers.

8. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a door for said outlet opening, a series of carriers mounted in vsaid housing for supporting and successively carrying downwardly to position opposite said outlet opening articles to be ejected through said opening, and means for causing a tilting movement of the carrier that supports an article opposite said opening after said door has been opened.

9. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a door for said opening, a movable series of pivoted carriers supported in said housing for supporting and successively carrying articles to position to be ejected through said opening, and mechanismsfor opening said door and then tilting the carrier that supports an article opposite said outlet opening and ejecting the article from the tilted carrier. through said outlet opening. l

10. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a door for said opening, a lmovableseries of pivoted carriers supported in` said housing for supporting and s'uc cessively carrying articles to position to be ejected through said opening, mechanisms for.'

opening said door and then tilting the carrier that supportsy an. article opposite said outlet opening and ejecting the article from the tilted carrier through said outlet opening, a movable series of supports for articles adjacent to said carriers, and mechanism for operating said supports and removing the articles therefrom and .said outlet opening and then moving another carrier with an article 4thereon to position opposite said outlet opening. v

12. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a vertical series of carriers supported in said housing, machinery in said housing for` moving said carriers downwardly successively to position in which the articles on the respective Camiers may be ejected through said opening, a vertical series of supporting magazines in 'said housing, and mechanism for removing articles from said magazines and depositing said articles' on said carriers.

13. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a door for said opening, a vertical series of carriers in said housing, machinery in said housing for operating said carriers intermittently to move the articles downwardly to locate the articles thereon successively opposite said opening, connections operated by said machinery for opening said door, devices operated by said machinery for ejecting the article from the carrier opposite said outlet opening after said door is opened, and, mechanism operating in timed relation to said carriers to place a plurality of articles on said carriers simultaneously after all articles have been ejected therefrom.

14. A vending machine comprising a housing having an outlet opening, a door for said opening, a vertical series of carriers in said housing, machinery in said housing for operating said carriers intermittently to locate the articles thereon successively opposite said opening, connections operated by said machinery for opening said door, devices operated by said machinery for ejecting the article from the carrier opposite said outlet opening after said door is opened, a vertical series of supports for articles in said housing, and mechanism for removing articles from said supports and placing said articles on said carriers in substitution for the articles that have'been ejected from said carriers.

15. In a vendingmachine, means for supporting vertical tiers of articles for movement around a space, mechanism for moving said supporting means intermittently and delivering articles therefrom, a dispensing mechanism receiving the articles delivered from said supporting means, and means for maintaining a gap between two vertical tiers of articles to provide a passageway for a person to pass into said space.

16. A vending machine comprising a dispensing mechanism, a series of supporting devices for supporting articles to be dispensed, mechanism for moving one of said supporting devices and delivering the articles supported thereby to said dispensing mechanism while the other supporting devices remain stationary, and means for then moving all of the supporting devices to position for subsequent operation.

17. A vending machine comprising a series of alsarticle supports, a dispensing mechanism for the 'It Y supporting and moving articles to a dispensing holding said carriers' approximately horizontal' means, mechanism for operating said carriers, a magazine for supporting articles to be placed on said carriers, mechanism for moving said magazine across saidcarriers, and devices for removing' the articles from said magazine and causing said articles to he deposited `on said carriersduring movement of said'magazine across said carriers.

i9. A vending machine comprising a series of article supports, a dispensing mechanism for the articles, propelling means for moving said articlev supports past said dispensing mechanism,v and means iordelivering articles therefrom to said dispensing mechanism, said propelling means being adapted to move one oi said article supports at a greater speed than the remaining. article supports are moved thereby.

2li. A vending machine comprising a series oi' article supports, a dispensing mechanism lor the articles, propelling means for moving said article supports past said dispensing mechanism, and means for delivering articles therefrom to said dispensing mechanism, and mechanism cooperating with said propelling means to move one oi said article supports a distance greater than the remaining. article supports are moved thereby.

21. In a vending machine, a dispensing device, a series of supports for articles to be delivered to said dispensing device, means -lor moving one' of said article supports a distance greater than the -remaining article supports are moved thereby vertical -conveyor for moving articles downwardly n to a discharge opening, article carriers movable."

downwardly and upwardly thereby, rigid guides during downward movement thereof and leaving said carriers tree to swing to approximately vertical position during upward movement thereof,

accenno mechanism for operating said conveyor, and mechanism for reloading said conveyor with a plurality of articles simultaneously alter articles have been removed therefrom.

23. A vending machine comprising a series oi supports for articles to be dispensed, an endless conveyor operating at an angle to the horizontal, pivoted carriers on said conveyor for individually supporting articles, mechanism for operating said conveyor intermittently to 'move the supportedl articles downward, means for supporting said barriers approximately horizontally during the descending movementsthereof, and mechanism for moving articles horizontally and delivering a plurality oi said articles simultaneously to said.

carriers during the time that said can'iers are supported approximately horizontal.

24. A vending machineI comprisingl means ior i articles simultaneously to said carriers, and means l for moving articles from said carriers in a direction at an angle to said rst named movement of said articles.

. 25. A vending machine comprising a dispensing mechanism for supporting a vplurality of ice cakes in vertically spaced relationship, a reloading mechanisn/i-tor delivering simultaneously to said dispensing mechanism a plurality of ice cakes in saidvertically spaced relationship, a member for operating said dispensing mechanism, and a sep- /arate member for operating the reloading mechanism to permit the dispensing mechanism to be operated during a part of the time that the reloading mechanism operates.` d

l26. In a vending machine, means for suppo l ing layers of articles around a central space in mutually spaced relation, said means adapted to be reillled with articles .from said central space.

mechanism for removing a' plurality of articles.

simultaneously from said supporting-means and for supporting said articles in spaced relationship,

' and devices for-discharging articles successively 1 

